SHOT 2024: Uberti USA Introduces the 1873 Hunter Rifle

Hunters armed with the 1873 Winchester have arguably bagged more deer than with any other rifle. The 1873 is rightly called the Gun that Won the West. Uberti of Italy has produced their beautifully machined version of the 1873 for decades in vintage and popular calibers. New for the 2024 SHOT Show, Uberti USA has introduced the 1873 Hunter.

The 1873 is renowned for its healthy magazine capacity and butter smooth toggle-link action. The 1873’s traditional buckhorn iron sights don’t lend themselves well to all shooters, particularly at longer ranges and low light. With an authentic half-round/half-octagonal barrel as a testbed, Uberti created the 1873 Hunter. The Uberti 1873 Hunter wears a section of Picatinny rail forward of the receiver for mounting a long eye relief scope or red dot. With an optic, tunnel vision is less likely and the wider field of view allows you to keep both eyes open and scan your surroundings while providing more flexibility than stock iron sights.

Besides the addition of a Picatinny rail, Uberti refused to make the 1873 Hunter a tactical lever gun. The rifle features an oiled and checkered half-pistol grip walnut stock with a rich blued action and barrel. The 1873 Hunter is available in .44 Magnum or .45 Colt with a 10-round tubular magazine and carbine-length 20-inch barrel. While the 1873 Hunter is not likely SASS approved, it’s a welcome addition for new and veteran lever gun aficionados.